Process and mechanism for forming hollow ware articles



May 24, 1932 H. c. AYERST 1,859,325

PROCESS AND MECHANISM FOR FORMING ,HOLLOW WARE ARTICLES Hlm Ill wl mvENToR' Mge/YY 6. HXf/ss ATTORNEY May 24, 1932. H, Q AYERs-r 1,859,325

Pnocnss AND MECHANISM Fonl FORMING HoLLow WARE ARTICLEs Filed Aug. 25, 1930 2 sheets-sheet 2 25 z5 f7 6 6L 3 m2233222: i Qoo'ovooa ooo l a segazgs I l n. :Se l

33 A 1 INVENTOR ,32 78 #www 6. Hrfs r ATTORNEY Patented May 24, 1932 UNrrED STATES HARRY C. AYERST, F 'SEA'IZIIEL4 WASHINGTON l PBCESS A ND MECHANISH FQR FOBMING HOLLOW WARE lABJJI'IICYELES Application med August 25, 1930. Serial N'o. 477,519. v

This invention relates to an im roved process and mechanism for forming ollow ware articles from paper pulp or the like, and it has for its principal object to provide a novel method of treating hollow ware articles formed from paper pulp whereby they may be quickly' and evenl formed about a shaping mold, economical y and effectively freed of moisture .and conditioned to permit 19'of convenient handling and further drying and finishing.

Another object of the invention resides m that step in the recess which consists in a rollin and pressing treatment of the article is while itis on the moldto make the walls substantially compact and whereby a smooth and finished appearance is given the article and whereby it is loosened for easy removal fro the mold. l

Other objects of the invention reside in the various novel steps of forming, drying,

pressing and removing the articleas will be recited in the following description.

Stillfurther objects reside inthe details the line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Fig-3 is a detail view in rear elevation of the presser rolls and operativeparts with the forming mold shown therebetween..

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of portions of the pressing apparatus partly in longitudinal section. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section of the rotative suction chest and one of the forming- 45. molds operatively connected therewith.

,In carrying out the process according toA I the present invention for the formation of hollow ware articles from pa r ulp, I first cause the de osit of a layer o p p u Fi 2 is a vertical section substantially on n the. p' 50 exterior sur ace of the wallsof al per orated,

interior`- mold, about which the article is PATENT; oF-FICE? formed. This is effected by applying .suc-

tion to the interior of the -mold while it is formed, hereinafter referred to as the fcontainer, for a period of time suiicient to exhaust or withdraw the major portion of the contained moisture or water andA to somewhat solidify the walls, of the container. Thence, the mold with the-:pu -deposit ad immersed in a vat of hydrated pulp, and this i A 'suction is maintained upon the article to be hering to its exterior cylindric'a 'walls and to its bottom or end wall is passed. between oposed, perforated presslng devices which ear against the exterior cylindrical surface of the deposit with -the suction maintained thereon while the container is subjected t0 l a rolling action under pressure to remove the major part of contained water and compresses the container walls.

Prior to final ressing, the suction is cut off and this permits ofl a stretching or loosening ofthe walls of the container from the mold to provide for eas removal.

When the rolling an dehydrating action is finished. the pressure devices are retracty ed, the suction on the interior of the mold being removed and the bottom pressure is V.

drawn away from the mold to ,pull the container by suction off the mold whereupon it is dislodged in such condition that a relative.- ly slight amount of drying by evaporation 'renders it ready for use.

Referring more in detail to thedrawings- 10 designates a supporting frame in which is rotatively' mounted an annular, hollow suction chest 11 connected by hollow spokes 12 to a solid axle 13 on one side and to a holaxle is `cominunicatively connected to the l low axle 15'on the other side.l The hollow several spoke'sand lto a suction pipe 16 through which suction s continuously maintaine within the chest.

are provided and consist of a wheel 17 keyed to the Solid axle 13 havin a suitable number of transversesockets V18 1n its periphery ac- Devices to intermittentlyl rotate the chest i" cordingto the number of intermittent movechest, and whichsockets are adapted to reyments to be made in the rotary travelfof the y A radially outward from said chest with which the are in communication and are each contro ed b three-way valves 25 arranged to close sai communication and open the outer ends of said mandrels to the atmosphere when suitably actuated through -arm 26. 27 indicates a mold, see Fig. 5, rotatively supported on the outer end of each said mandrel which may be of any suitable size or shape to-correspond to t formed. Said molds are hollow and perfovrated in its circumferential wall 28 and bot'- tom wall 29 and suction is communicated,

thereto through the outer open end of its mandrel. y31 indicates a vat of hydrated pulp material suited to form the said hollow containers. The chest in its rotation, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, causes the molds 27 to be immersed in said pulp, the respective valve 25 thereof being previously opened through contact of the arm 26 with a. cam .n plate 24 to close the vent to the atmosphere and establish communication with the suction in the chest, and thereupon a la er' of ulp is caused to form about the side and ttom walls of the mold. The intermittent movement of the chest carries the mold in its turn with the ul container bodies 32 thereon for a consi era 1e period of its travel with the suction acting-thereon whereby a large part of the water 1n the pulp is removed and the containers are thus prepared for the final and finishing portion of their treatment.

Numerals 33 and 35 indicate cylindrical presser rolls keyed to the spindles 36 and 37, res ctively, and are driven by sprocket chalns 38 and 40 passing about sprocket wheels 41 and 42 respetlv'ely, mounted on cates a mold, see Fig. 5, rotatively suplported wheels 43 and 45 keyed on said drive s aft 22. Said spindles are rotatively supported at -their o posite ends in pairs of dependent swinga le arms 46 and 47, respectively, supported at their up er ends on hangers 48 of the drive shaft. aid pairs of arms 46 and 47 are arranged to be yieldingly pressed tother and to contact on opposite sides of t e mold 27 by means of coil springs 50 mounted on a rod 51 exteriorly of the res ective said arms. At predetermined periods when the pressure and rolling operations upon the mold are completed the arms are separated and the mold released from the rolls by means of a toggle-spreader 52 actuated downwardly through a rod 53 engagea-ble at its upper end by a cam 55 on said shaft 22 and at other times held in its upper inoperative position by a spring `56.

A bottom-forming presser 57 of circular configuration having a hollow interior, see

e article or container to bey Fig. 4, and a rforated end wall 58 of the diameter of tiri); container to be formed is mounted to rotate freely on a tubular mandrel 60 through which suction is applied through pipe 61 which suction may be cut off through a three-wa valve 62 havingvan operating arm 63. Sald mandrel 60 is arranged to reciprocate in sliding bearing 65 by means of an oscillating arm 67 pivoted at 68 and controlled in its vibratory movements by a drum 70 having a cam-groove 71 In the intermittent rotation of the chest the periods of rest coincide with a horizontall position of the mandrels and the containers thereon betweenthe rolls 33 and '35. Immediately after the respective mold is so positioned the toggle-spreader is released and said rolls contact with the exterior side walls of the container. Said rolls are under constant rotation and with the pressure exerted through springs 50 compact the fibrous material and squeeze out the moisture. Prior to the completion of thepressing action of the rolls thesuction in said mold being acted upon is cut off by the tripper- 72 acting upon arm 26 of the valve 25 which opens said mold to the atmosphere. Said tripper is actuated through a bell-crank 73 controlled by a rod 74 from a cam 75 on the drive shaft 22. The final action of the rolls upon the container .with the interior suction cut oil' causes the side walls thereof to be slightly stretched so that it ma later be readily removed.

Said rollI diameter of the container so that a considers are preferably several times the A able number of rotations will be given the container while the rolls are being rotated at a speed and to the number of rotations determined by the ratio of the sprocket Wheels 41 and 42 to those numbered 43 and 45, respectively. Simultaneously, the presser 57 is advanced and contacts with the bottom of the container and is rotated therewith on its mandrel. Suction is applied through the perforated end of the with the suction within the mold 27 will remove considerable moisture from the container bottom. Upon the termination of the action of the rolls on the container and upon their opening movements the presser 57 is retracted pulling the container off the mold by suction. At the end of the rearward travel presser which together of the presser- 57 a slide arm 76 connected at one end therewith and having a slot 77 at its opposite end in which the arm 63 of the valve 62 is engaged causes the closing nebenan to the atmosphere and opened to the suction in a well understood manner.

lt will be understood that the above apparatus is illustrative merely and that various ways and means may be utilized to carry out the details ot my improved process and I do not intend to confine myself to such details of construction except as called for in the annexed claims.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l.. rthe process of making hollow articles from pulp, consisting in forming a deposit of pulp upon the exterior of a perforated mold through interior suction in said mold while immersed in :1 mass of hydrated pulp, pressing the exterior side wall of said deposit during the maintenance of pressure, simultaneously pressing the bottom of said deposit with exteriorly applied suction, and the removal of the molded article through suction and retraction oil said mold.

2. rlhe process of making hollow articles from pulp, consisting `in forming a deposit pulp upon the exterior oi a perforated mold through interior suction, applying pressure rolls to the exterior o said deposit, simultaneously applying pressure and exterior suction to the bottom of said deposit, cutting oil the interior suction, and removing said article through the continued application of said bottom suction.

3. The process of making' hollow containers from pulp, consisting in forming a deposit of pulp upon the exterior of a perforated mold through internally applied suction while immersed in a mass of hydrated pulp', squeezing by rolling pressure the outer circumferential surface of said deposit under continued suction cutting1 oil said suction prior to the completion of said squeezing action applying pressure and suction exteriorly to the bottom of said deposit, releasing the side wall of the deposit from said squeezing action, and removing said container from the mold.

Il. The process of making hollow containers from pulp, consisting in forming a deposit of pulp upon the exterior of a perforated mold through internally applied suction while immersed in a mass of hydrated pulp, squeezing by rolling pressure the outer circumferential side Wall of said deposit under continued suction, cutting oil 'said suction' prior to the completion of said squeezing action, applying pressure and suction exteriorly to the bottom of said deposit, relieving the side wall of the deposit from said squeezing action. and pulling oil said container from the mold through said externally applied suction.

5. The process of making hollow containers from pulp, consisting in forming a deposit of pulp upon the exterior of a perforated mold through internally applied suction while immersed in a' mass of hydrated pulp, squeezing by'rollingpressure the outer circumferential side 'wallfot said deposit under continued suction, cutting oil said suctionprior to thecomplc'tion lof said squeezing action, applying pressure and suction exteriorly Vto the bottom of said deposit, relieving the side wall ot the deposit from said' squeezing action, pulling oil said container trom the mold through saidl externally applied suction, and cutting 0H said external suction to release said container.

6. The process of making hollow contain- 'ers from pulp, consisting in ormin'gby interior suction a` deposit of pulp upon the exterior surfaces of a pluralityY of hollow perforated molds successively byimmersing said molds lin a mass of hvdrated pulp, each mold and deposit thereon being in turn brought to -rest in a horizontal position whereat external squeezing by rolling pressure is applied opposit-ely upon the side wall of said deposit, cutting off said suction prior to the completion of said 'squeezing action, applying pressure and suction externally to the bottom oi saidv molds, means for advancing the carrier to successively position the molds within said container. means for causing interior suction to be applied to the molds while in the container to cause the deposit of a layer oi hydrated pulp thereon, means with which the said molds may be pressed into rolling contact while suction is maintained to dehydrate the deposited layer of pulp, and means for cutting ofi the suction prior to completion of the rolling process to cause loosening of the `deposit from the mold.

8. In a machine of the character described, a container for hydrated pulp, e, plurality of hollow perforated molds, a carrier for.

said molds, means for advancing the carrier to successively position the molds within said container, means for causing interior suction to be applied to the molds while in the container to cause the deposit of a layer of hydrated pulp thereon, means with which the said molds may be pressed into rolling contact while`s`uction is maintained to dehydrate the deposited layer of pulp, means for cutting od thesuction prior to completion of the rolling process to cause loosening of the deposit from the mold, and means for effecting the removal of the deposit from the mold.

9. A machine of the character described, com rising a vat for .hydrated pulp, a rotata le Suction chest, a plurality of hollow, rotatable molds mounted by said suction chest and having connection therewith, valves in said connections for controlling the application of suction to the molds, means for 1ntermittently advancing the chest to successively position the molds Within the vat, means for actuating the valves to cause suction to be applied to the molds while in the vat to cause the deposit of a layer of hydrated pulp thereon, rolling means adapted to be 4brought into pressing contact wit-h the deposited layer to dehydrate it, and means adapted to Withdraw, b suction, the formed article from the mol Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 20th day of June, 1930.

, i HARRY C. AYERST. 

